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Open Access Dissertation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty attitudes toward methods of peer review in the formative evaluation of instruction in higher education, and toward selected variables that may affect the willingness of faculty members to avail themselves of these methods. The methods investigated were direct classroom observation, videotaping of classes, evaluation of course materials, and evaluation of instructor-graded student assignments. The variables examined included detractors (i.e., factors having potential to take away from the value of the evaluation methods), enhancers (i.e., factors having potential to add to the effectiveness of the methods of evaluation), and individual/institutional improvement variables (i.e., factors that may benefit students, faculty and the college or university). A random sample of 750 full-time faculty members affiliated with the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities was requested to respond to a 37-item questionnaire. Four research questions and corresponding hypotheses were tested. Except for hypothesis one (where descriptive statistics were reported), each hypothesis was tested at the.05 level of significance using non-directional tests. Further, correlational procedures were applied which included the calculation of Pearson correlation coefficients among each of the four methods of evaluation and the detractors, enhancers and individual/institutional improvement variables. The principal findings of this study were: (a) Of the 372 respondents, 94% would participate in classroom observation, 62% in videotaping, 94% in examination of course materials, and 78% in instructor-graded student assignments; (b) respondents were not convinced that the detractor variables would reduce their participation in the methods of formative evaluation; (c) while it would appear that the respondents have positive impressions of the role of enhancer variables, there were, with one exception, no statistically significant relationships between a willingness to participate in the methods of formative evaluation and the enhancer variables; and (d) respondents revealed that in most instances there is a positive relationship between faculty members' willingness to participate in methods of formative evaluation and their agreement that the quality of instruction and student learning would improve through this participation.